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Re: Are you ready for the Odfrank overwintering challenge?

I thought I would chime in. Started off with 4 hives last year. Split to 12. Lost three going into winter (bad queens) and one absconded and three prior to NE Blizzard, starvation (I didn't get to em quick enough to supplement, Grrrrr ) So mad at myself!

Just went out today, cloudy and in the 40's. I still have 6. Four are taking Mountain Camp like crazy and two are not. I will check again during the next weather break. We will see if they make it.

Re: Are you ready for the Odfrank overwintering challenge?

Didn't register to start, so this is just noise, not data, but we are currently three for three. Mine are quite heavy, so I'm letting them manage on their own until it warms up more, when I'll stick in half a protein patty for good luck. My brother's hive is light, so we will be putting some candy and dry sugar on the inner cover until it's warm enough to dig further in.

I knew I still had bees today when I walked out the back door and one flew up and checked out the red squares in my plaid shirt!

Re: Are you ready for the Odfrank overwintering challenge?

I discovered three more dead in San Jose. That makes 10 out of 35 gone. I'm taking Olly's advice and using all my 10 frame deeps as bait hives. Oh wait, I feel another challenge coming on....yeah, another swarm challenge.

Re: Are you ready for the Odfrank overwintering challenge?

Went and checked yeseterday, all of my nucs had a 100% mortality (that's no big deal, I was completely expecting that because they were late season nucs and I didn't feed them or prep them to survive the winter at all) and have lost 4 of my 39 production colonies. Down to 35 hives of 39 and 0 of probably 20-25ish nucs? Not sure because I didn't keep an accurate count of the nucs becaues as I said, I was anticipating a 100% mortality from them last year.

Total loss ~ 29 hives
or
~ 45%

We the willing have done so much with so little for so long we can now do anything with nothing

Re: Are you ready for the Odfrank overwintering challenge?

All 4 survived with 1weak so it went to a smaller box. Bottom comb full of moisture and few brood so we shall see. Moved a gift hive down from the about 2-3 miles away, today is the first day and they are bringing in pollen. Reconfigured my hive layout (with the help if a few strong men) yesterday with some hive movement, pissed off bees! Today they are over it and orientation all day. Spectacular warm perfect day in Novato, suppose to stay this way a few more days. I think I will be able to split two hives in a few weeks.

Not sure how swarm active I will be this summer....
It has already started!

Re: Are you ready for the Odfrank overwintering challenge?

Originally Posted by minz

Just to be difficult, 4 hives, 2 nucs and trying to get 2 nucs QR for the winter (emerge Sept 1). So I could be 4, 6 or 8! how do you count? Treatment? not this season, yet, low counts.
Seriously 4 to count.

got 2/4 nucs, 3/4 full size hives and 1/1 singles with a follower board in a queen castle. 6/9=66.6%

“Why do we fall, sir? So that we might learn to pick ourselves up” Alfred Pennyworth Batman Begins (2005)

Re: Are you ready for the Odfrank overwintering challenge?

I have 2 strong nice looking hives, double story 8 frame mediums. I started with 13, all nucs in various configurations. I'm not surprised, but would have been happier with a couple more. These are no treatment, survived one winter, so will be my base for increase this year, after honey. 15% survival rate, first year all treatment free last year.

"A good day is when no one shows up and you don't have to go anywhere." - Burt Shavitz (Burt's Buzz)

Re: Are you ready for the Odfrank overwintering challenge?

17/18 survival in 5 over 5, or 5 over 5 over 5 nuc configuration (94%), and 8/12 (66%) in standard 10 frame equipment ranging from a single deep with an empty medium under it to a stack of 4 deeps. This computes to an overall survival rate of 83%.
All had a Fumigillan treatment in the fall, according to evolving opinion it is not needed!, and no chemicals for the mites; 12 of the nucs had a solid defined brood break in June as the queen got mated. When it is warm enough to get in there I am curious as to their strengths.
5 degrees F. at the time of writing, we in the midwest are likely to lose a few more before winter turns away its chilly face.

Re: Are you ready for the Odfrank overwintering challenge?

16/17. 94%. My only loss (so far) was a nuc that I rushed into 10 frame equipment and was robbed out by it's strong neighbors. As mentioned earlier, it's really too early here to declare success. I've got a few that are really light and are going through candy like nobody's business.

Re: Are you ready for the Odfrank overwintering challenge?

6 out of 6 survived! 5 Carnie's and 1 Italian. All in 8 frame mediums stacked 2 and 3 high, no treatments. 4 had brood breaks in July/August. The other 2 had spring queens. All went into October with at least 1 super of honey stores. Dec. 1 I placed sugar cakes on them all for insurance. I hope everyone adds as many details as possible so we can learn something from this challenge..

Re: Are you ready for the Odfrank overwintering challenge?

Well 12 out of 19 made it and i am happy this is my 4th year and i don't have to buy bees that was a goal and soon the games begain.
This years goal is 15 strong hives and 15 nucs by fall. The hives i lost where dinkys and 3 where mite infested i know one thing ya have to do something when it comes to mites {varroa}.

Re: Are you ready for the Odfrank overwintering challenge?

I wasn't registered for the contest - hadn't been stopping in much since I was depressed over losing both my hives last winter... that's the winter before this one.

BUT - this year both are still alive and kicking as of yesterday, so had to stop in and this looked too perfect a thread to not present my happiness at making it this far. 2 hives - both untreated and the only thing I did differently this year from last is wrap them in tarpaper. (well, I think that was the only thing) Just very happy to find them alive - Will be feeding lots of sugar to see that they stay that way.